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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes - 2020/05/11APPROVED PROCEEDINGS OF THE MOUNDS VIEW CITY COUNCIL CITY OF MOUNDS VIEW RAMSEY COUNTY, MINNESOTA Regular Meeting May 11, 2020 Mounds View City Hall 2401 Mounds View Boulevard, Mounds View, MN 55112 6:30 P.M. 1. MEETING IS CALLED TO ORDER Mayor Mueller explained that due to the COVID-19 pandemic this meeting would be held virtually. 2. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE 3. ROLL CALL: Bergeron, Gunn, Hull, Meehlhause, Mueller NOT PRESENT: None. 4. APPROVAL OF AGENDA A. Monday, May 11, 2020, City Council Agenda. MOTION/SECOND: Gunn/Meehlhause. To Approve the Monday, May 11, 2020, agenda as presented. A roll call vote was taken. Ayes — 5 Nays — 0 Motion carried. 5. CONSENT AGENDA A. Approval of Minutes: April 27, 2020. B. Just and Correct Claims. C. Resolution 9265, Approving Revisions to the Personnel Manual. MOTION/SECOND: Meehlhause/Bergeron. To Approve the Consent Agenda as presented. A roll call vote was taken. Ayes — 5 Nays — 0 Motion carried. 6. PUBLIC COMMENT Mounds View City Council May 11, 2020 Regular Meeting Page 2 None. 7. SPECIAL ORDER OF BUSINESS A. Resolution 9271, Approving the 2019 Mounds View Citizen of the Year — Amy Hodges. Council Member Meehlhause read a Resolution in full for the record recognizing Amy Hodges as the 2019 Mounds View Citizen of the Year. Mayor Mueller reported a plaque would be presented to Amy Hodges in recognition of her dedicated service to the City of Mounds View. City Administrator Zikmund explained he reached out to Amy Hodges today and learned she was open to conducting an interview with CTV. He stated he would be delivering the plaque to Ms. Hodges. MOTION/SECOND: Gunn/Meehlhause. To Adopt Resolution 9271, Approving the 2019 Mounds View Citizen of the Year — Amy Hodges. A roll call vote was taken. Ayes — 5 Nays 0 Motion carried. B. National Public Works Week Proclamation. Mayor Mueller read a proclamation in full for the record declaring May 17 through May 23, 2020 to be National Public Works Week in the City of Mounds View. She thanked the Public Works Department for the great work they complete on behalf of the community. C. Building Safety Month Proclamation. Mayor Mueller read a proclamation in full for the record declaring May to be Building Safety Month in the City of Mounds View. D. Police Department First Quarter 2020 Report — Police Chief Harder. Police Chief Harder reviewed the Police Department First Quarter report with the City Council. He commented on the new normal that was being established in the department noting officers were not able to work from home. He discussed the community outreach events that were held earlier in the year and noted how calls for service have been impacted by COVID-19. He explained permits to purchase have increased in 2020. He reported all officers have remained healthy to this point. He stated he has appreciated how the community was reaching out to the Police Department. He indicated he was proud of the new programs that would be coming out in the second quarter and noted he would be reporting on these to the Council in July or August. Mounds View City Council May 11, 2020 Regular Meeting Page 3 Council Member Gunn thanked Police Chief Harder for having a squad parked at CVS in the evening hours. She stated this has helped the CVS employees feel safer in the evening hours. Council Member Meehlhause thanked Police Chief Harder for his strong leadership and explained he appreciated the efforts of the entire department during these challenging times. Police Chief Harder stated he was proud of his officers and their ability to work through this crisis. 8. COUNCIL BUSINESS A. Public Hearing: Resolution 9267, Approving a Chicken/Duck License for Jessica Lee and Kjel Farr at 2817 County Road H2. City Administrator Zikmund requested the Council approve a chicken/duck license for Jessica Lee and Kjel Farr at 2817 County Road H2. He reported the applicants have met all City requirements to raise chickens/ducks. He stated one of the neighbors had contacted the City to voice their opposition without stating a specific reason. Community Development Director Sevald explained a large portion of the rear yard of the applicants was a drainage and utility easement. He noted the applicant would have to sign an agreement with the City stating she understands the City has the right to access this property and if the coop needs to be moved this would be at the applicant's expense. Mayor Mueller opened the public hearing at 7:00 p.m. Jessica Lee, 2817 County Road H2, thanked the Council for considering her request. She stated she would like to keep three chickens in her rear yard. She noted she was proposing to construct an 8'x8' coop with an 8'x'8 run. Hearing no public input, Mayor Mueller closed the public hearing at 7:02 p.m. Council Member Gunn asked if the applicant was aware of the fact that the coop may have to be moved, if the City needed to access the utility easement. Ms. Lee stated she received information from the City and understood this would be the case. City Administrator Zikmund reported the applicant would have to sign a document as well. MOTION/SECOND: Hull/Bergeron. To Waive the Reading and Adopt Resolution 9267, Approving a Chicken/Duck License for Jessica Lee and Kjel Farr at 2817 County Road H2. Council Member Meehlhause asked how the agreement would be signed with a notary public. City Administrator Zikmund reported Ms. Ewald was a notary and this document could be signed with proper social distancing at City Hall. A roll call vote was taken. Ayes — 5 Nays — 0 Motion carried. B. Resolution 9269, Adopting a Five Year Financial Plan for 2021 through 2025. Mounds View City Council May 11, 2020 Regular Meeting Page 4 Finance Director Beer requested the Council adopt a five year financial plan for 2021 through 2025. He commented the City Charter requires the Council to have this document in place. He reviewed the plan in detail with the Council and noted this planning document was a work in progress. He reported the plan does not bind the Council to any particular purchases, but assists with budgeting for future expenditures. The utility rates for 2021 were discussed. It was noted the 2021-2025 Financial Plan would be posted on the City's website. Council Member Gunn asked how the City would respond if LGA was not available in 2021 or 2022. Finance Director Beer explained the City had reserves in the event the State takes away LGA. Mayor Mueller reported this was a document that was adopted but could be changed over time. MOTION/SECOND: Meehlhause/Hull. To Waive the Reading and Adopt Resolution 9269, Adopting a Five Year Financial Plan for 2021 through 2025. A roll call vote was taken. Ayes — 5 Nays — 0 Motion carried. C. Resolution 9268, Approving the Hire of Isaiah Schoeman to the Housing/ Code/Fire Inspector Position. Human Resources Coordinator Ewald requested the Council approve the hire of Isaiah Schoeman to the position of Housing/Code/Fire Inspector. She reported the City received six applications for this position and four interviews were held with candidates. She explained Mr. Schoeman had served as an intern to the City of Mounds View in the Planning Department and noted staff recommended Isaiah Schoeman be hired for the Housing/Code/Fire Inspector position. It was noted Mr. Schoeman also served on the SBM Fire Department. MOTION/SECOND: Gunn/Meehlhause. To Waive the Reading and Adopt Resolution 9268, Approving the Hire of Isaiah Schoeman to the Housing/Code/Fire Inspector Position. Council Member Meehlhause thanked staff for the presentation provided by staff this evening. A roll call vote was taken. Ayes — 5 Nays — 0 Motion carried. D. Resolution 9270, Approving the Hire of Daniel Wattenhofer to the Arborist/Park Maintenance Position. Human Resources Coordinator Ewald requested the Council approve the hire of Daniel Wattenhofer to the position of Arborist/Mark Maintenance. She reported the City received five applications for this position and five interviews were held with candidates. She explained Mr. Mounds View City Council May 11, 2020 Regular Meeting Page 5 Wattenhofer was a stellar candidate and has worked for the Public Works Department previously as a seasonal employee. Further discussion ensued regarding Mr. Wattenhofer's work background and staff recommended approval of the hire. Public Works Director Peterson stated he was very excited to have Mr. Wattenhofer back on staff, noting Mr. Wattenhofer had a high level of knowledge and expertise that would be valuable to the City of Mounds View. MOTION/SECOND: Meehlhause/Bergeron. To Waive the Reading and Adopt Resolution 9270, Approving the Hire of Daniel Wattenhofer to the Arborist/Park Maintenance Position. Council Member Meehlhause thanked staff for the thorough presentation on this hire and stated Mr. Wattenhofer would be a great addition to the City. A roll call vote was taken. Ayes — 5 Nays 0 Motion carried. E. Resolution 9272, Approving Change Orders 1 & 2, Exterior Building Repairs Wells 5&6. Public Works Director Peterson requested the Council approve Changer Orders 1 and 2 along with exterior building repairs to Wells 5 and 6. He discussed the work that was being completed on Wells 5 and 6 and noted the change orders would cover the expense of unanticipated repairs. He noted the water budget would cover the overages. MOTION/SECOND: Gunn/Meehlhause. To Waive the Reading and Adopt Resolution 9272, Approving C/O 1 & 2, Exterior Building Repairs Wells 5 & 6. A roll call vote was taken. Ayes — 5 Nays — 0 Motion carried. F. Resolution 9273, Approving Change Order 3 Water Treatment Plant. Public Works Director Peterson requested the Council approve Change Order 3 for the work being done at the Water Treatment Plant. He described the work being done at the water treatment plant and noted a motor had to be improved. Council Member Meehlhause questioned how the project was coming along. Public Works Director Peterson provided the Council with an update on the progress being made at the Water Treatment Plant. He reported the project has remained on schedule despite COVID-19 and pump testing would be held this fall. MOTION/SECOND: Meehlhause/Hull. To Waive the Reading and Adopt Resolution 9273, Approving C/O 3 Water Treatment Plant. Mounds View City Council May 11, 2020 Regular Meeting Page 6 A roll call vote was taken. Ayes — 5 Nays — 0 Motion carried. G. Resolution 9274, Approving Repairs of Mounds View Community Center Dividers. Public Works Director Peterson requested the Council approve repairs to the dividers at the Mounds View Community Center. He explained the panels were original from 1997 and have been damaged over time. He indicated now was an opportune time to replace the dividers since the space was not being used. He reported staff received quotes for the dividers from three different vendors and recommended approval of the repairs for a cost of $99,995. Mayor Mueller stated she was happy to see this item came in under budget by almost $30,000. MOTION/SECOND: Hull/Meehlhause. To Waive the Reading and Adopt Resolution 9274, Approving Repairs of Mounds View Community Center Dividers. A roll call vote was taken. Ayes — 5 Nays — 0 Motion carried. 9. REPORTS A. Reports of Mayor and Council. Council Member Meehlhause stated the Twin Cities Gateway Executive Committee would be meeting virtually on Tuesday, May 19th Council Member Meehlhause commented on the great work the painters had done at City Hall and noted the new carpeting looked great. He indicated the Council may want to consider putting new panels in the City Council Chambers. Mayor Mueller stated the work at City Hall was turning out very nicely. She agreed the panels in the Council Chambers may need to be repainted or covered with different fabric. City Administrator Zikmund reported staff would investigate this further. He explained the project had come in under budget so staff did have funding available to address the panels. A discussion was held regarding proper social distancing. Mayor Mueller commented last week she virtually attended the Minnesota Mayors Annual Meeting and Conference. She reported she was appointed to the Executive Board for this group. Mayor Mueller explained the Ramsey County League of Local Government met on Friday, May 8th at 7:30 a.m. where the group discussed budgetary concerns. Mounds View City Council May 11, 2020 Regular Meeting Page 7 Mayor Mueller reported the Minnesota Women in Government held a meeting on Friday, May Stn She noted the women's suffrage 100 year celebration has been postponed to next spring. Council Member Meehlhause commented on the NYFS Leadership Luncheon and noted Lori Sturdevant was a great guest speaker. Mayor Mueller encouraged all residents in Mounds View to fill out their 2020 census information. She discussed the importance of being counted and thanked all of the residents who had already filled out their census. B. Reports of Staff. Community Development Director Sevald commented on a code violation that occurred in the City. He reported the violation had to do with a resident that had a fence that was taller than 48" in the front yard. He noted the fence was placed in the front yard around a vegetable garden. He stated after talking with the City Council it was recommended staff encourage the resident to remove the fence in lieu of having it look more like a trellis. He reported the resident is requesting the fence be allowed to remain as is. Staff requested direction from the Council on how to proceed. Nate Blinn explained he did a sun study in order to find the best location for a garden. He reported he was looking for a location that got eight to ten hours of sun in his yard in order to have a productive garden. Kelsie Blinn commented further on the garden location noting it was 16 feet from the curb. She questioned how the City defined a fence stating this was a gray area within City Code. She reported her intention was for the fence to serve as a trellis for the vegetables to grew on. She expressed concern that a citation was issued from the City prior to the project being completed. She noted the garden would have landscaping around it to help blend into the surrounding area. She commented that one of her neighbors who was very skeptical about the garden originally approved of the final plans. She requested comment from the City Council how the City defined a fence and questioned why this qualified as a fence when her intention was for it to be used as a trellis. Mr. Blinn indicated the trellis has been removed but noted the metal portion was still in place. He stated the garden does not look that much different, but it would hurt given the fact the trellis function had been lost. Mayor Mueller thanked Nate and Kelsie for their input. She stated she was in favor of referring this matter back to staff in order to resolve the matter. City Administrator Zikmund commented staff would like to hear from the Council on how to modify City Code. Council Member Bergeron indicated the fence was clearly a part of the garden and was not being used to separate property. He supported the fencing being allowed and recommended the City make a clarification in City Code. Mounds View City Council May 11, 2020 Regular Meeting Page 8 Council Member Gunn agreed with Council Member Bergeron. She did not believe this should be viewed as a fence. She anticipated that more gardens would be springing up throughout the City and she supported the Council making a change to City Code. Council Member Meehlhause supported Council Member Bergeron's comments as well. He supported the Council reviewing a City Code amendment with respect to fencing. Council Member Hull agreed with the statements that have been made. Public Works Director Peterson asked if this fencing was located in City right-of-way. Community Development Director Sevald reported the garden was not located in the right-of-way. Council Member Gunn suggested residents be required to check in with the City if wanting to locate a vegetable garden in the front yard to ensure these gardens are not located within the City's right-of-way. Mayor Mueller stated she was pleased the Council supported City staff working with Nate and Kelsie on this matter. She thanked the Council for the great discussion. Council Member Meehlhause asked if the citation that was given to the Blinn family would be rescinded. Community Development Director Sevald reported this would be the case. 1.) Highly Effective Team Guide. City Administrator Zikmund reviewed the Commission/City Council priorities with the Council and asked for feedback. The Council supported the language included in this document. 2.) Budget Work Session Start Time. City Administrator Zikmund requested the Council set a start time for the upcoming Budget Work Session. The Council recommended the Budget Work Session be held at 5:30 p.m. on Monday, May 18th Public Works Director Peterson provided the Council with an update on the 2020 Street Project. He commented on the Private Improvement Program and requested the Council discuss the potential to subsidize this program. Mayor Mueller asked if this was a time sensitive matter. Public Works Director Peterson reported this was a timely matter. City Administrator Zikmund suggested staff prepare a staff memo regarding this item and that the Council discuss it further at the budget work session meeting. Council Member Meehlhause asked if the City wanted residents to go the slip lining route. Public Works Director Peterson reported this was the case. Mounds View City Council May 11, 2020 Regular Meeting Page 9 Council Member Meehlhause recommended the City make residents aware of the interest free dollars that were available to assist with slip lining sewer lines. Council Member Gunn questioned how much the City has subsidized these projects in the past. Public Works Director Peterson stated he was uncertain. Finance Director Beer explained he did not recall the City subsidizing this work at all in the past. Mayor Mueller requested staff bring this item to the Council for further discussion next Monday. C. Reports of City Attorney. There was nothing additional to report. 10. Council Budget Work Session: Next Council Work Session: Next Council Meeting: 11. ADJOURNMENT The meeting was adjourned at 8:30 p.m. Transcribed by: Heidi Guenther Minute Maker Secretarial Monday, May 18, 2020, at 6:30 p.m. Monday, June 1, 2020, at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 26, 2020, at 6:30 p.m.